Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-31
IN OLD WHALING DAYS.
FAMOUS CAPTAINS or FAMOUS YANKEE
SHIPS.
Laughab.e Stories of the Bluff, RoIiDg-Gaitei Sea
Digs Their Naive iiulu1r aud Aueodotcs
Showing Its Quality.
y + II. in N--r Luuuun nl.-

49, F. n. IN N.r Lootou Daa.
The final disappearance Of the old-timc
whaling captain is at hand. But few Of
them are lett now, and their ike will
never be seen on land or ocean again.
They were a unique and heroic race. They
will soon he an extinct one. The port OF
New London, Connecticut, which Tor
many years outiitled an imposing Ileet OF.
ships Tor Greenland, Dissolution aud other
cruising grounds, cannot to-day boast
OF a single ship sailing from
her beautiful harbor. There are
several schouurrS engaged in the steal fish
ing and sea elephant hunt; but the rusty,
romantic old whale ships are chatting ii
her whtrNrS no more -;haling at inland
captivity ami signing through their nrird
shruuds tor the freedom OF deep waters
again. ~, too, there ale hut 4 h~Hli-d0Hen
Oi the veteran "blubber hunters" left 10
lament the uPuleut days OF old.
This decay of the whale fishery and
wholesale taking OF of the whaling cap
tains draws a sharp contrast between the
rich days Of the past and the present morl-
bund condition OF what was once II mag
uiicent industry. IN the prosperous Pc
ricd, and on many occasions, two or more
whale ships could br seen sailing Into the
harbor abreast al! deep laden with whale
ul which Was the result Of their long
VOYAGES. and CAPTAINS and crews hilarious
over then good fortune. THrn WosS there
i universal Jubilee and pl0rlicutl0n. Sale
and barter were suspended and the people,
OF one mind, locked to the wharves To give
the %sea-tanued Whalers a grand and gener'
Gus Welcome.
For weeks after the arrival OF the
whalers the little city was given over 10
gaiety. There was no c~OnsIahulary res
traiut; but ON the other hand there were
but lew outbreaks, and the turbulence
was of a merry-makimp character. That
heaven OF the r0nyiyialist, IT public aud
u fiddle WAS open on every hand. Ban
JOS were thumprd by experts
in every dancing house, and sea
songs were rOarrd until il seemed ~ If
their echoes reached the very stars. In
one public Il male chorus of hoisterous
voices vorilerated the praises OF BLACK
Eyed Susan. ~ aud in another what seemed
from the sound to be a den of lions reared
in deep-sea tones The Life on the Ocean
Wave There was but one constable, ana
he was an OhtUse, snail-spirtrd old man,
physically blind in one eye and morally
blind i'm the other. His central idea OF
duty was to he always present when the
gratuitous grog Was circling IN the midst
OF a merry company.
Blessed wa the lot of any poor little
boy or girl who ramc under the glance Of
our captains eye Of great compassion nov!
Taking some lOrloIu girl 10y the hand, the
old sea dog would lead her 10 a iruitery
and there attempt To load her pockets with
| peaches and oranges. Finding, however,
that the lruyed garments OF the little one
were without pockets, he would hail a
public carriage, put the delighted girl into
It, place a basket OF blooming fruit by her
side, and then send her home III triumph
As biz as the sea itself was the heart of
our lovable old SEA captain,
The characteristics OF these old-time
whaling captains were prodigious strength
and almost incredible endurance absolute
trarlessness aud diflusiye generosity. They
could lit the heaviest anchors rs II they
were tOys-they were afraid Of nothing
atloat or ashore, they gave generously, rs
il money grew plrutltully * the grass, and
they only uncovered 10 the Ruler of the
universe. Il il true they were in a
general sense prolane. They sworr great,
roaring. oceanic oaths, but III some way
thrsr ohjurgatory outbursts seemed devoid
ui ME, eIcuce, because our captain 4 oath
was but his method ofcNprrssiug his indlT.
nutionat some INDUSTRIOUS wrong committed
or 4 pledge OH his part to 10 his uttrrmost
t. have the wrong righted.
\ few anecdotal rccollerIion4 OF thcSr
OLD captains are preserved, The hUmnr OF
which has ~ dainty a tint rs the sea shells
they brought home from the PARKWAY
islands To adorn their parlor cabinets. The
following are specimen shells, and they
still sing pleasantly of the SEA.
During the progress Of il powerful revival
Of religion, a bOiStpTou1 old captain was
Struck under conviction under the
preaching of Elder Swan, an eccentric re-
y~ivalist. At midnight the prutracted meet
ing closed and the elder sent the captain tn
his boarding place with the injunction Ia
paSs the remainder OF the night in solitary
prayer. During that period he was seen
bv the people of the house on his knees,
with the hot tears bathing his hrUnI"d
face, and overheard in his prayer as fol
lows. 80 Lord-Ihou kn0weSt ] have
been one of the that ever sailed
deep water. Thou knowest | have been
one of the t s~rotiers that ever struck
whale. Thou kn0wcst that have raised
- from Genesis to Revelation, ny etc, etc.
The captain was received into the
church, and he ever after cNcmpiItied the
life ola sincere Christian. OF ms conycr
sion the elder quantity sand: ''He was
struck under conviction by one of tn,
church's heaviest harpOOns, aud towed
into the heavenly port, and We found II
the old fellow an abundance Of the oil u
faith"
There was one blutl, old captain who wa:
cruising for sperm whale for over -four
years, and naturally his owner became
anxious as TO the result ul such "A pr0long
ed voyage. At last the mimiiable captain
Thought his dingy ship into port alcak.
storm. bclabored aud p~rOViSiomlrss. tn,
owner stepped hriskly aboard, ana gave
the captain "A hearty shake OF the hand.
How IL my WIFE inquired the cap
tain.
VERY well, indeed, captain" replied
the owner, neryously pacing the cabin.
How is my boy, Tom continued Tia,
captain.
Finely; growing like weed, " respond
ed the owner, wriuging his clasped hand
behind him.
"And how is my girl, N%ellie2' p~ersisie,
the captain.
"uh, she is IN the academy at the heac
of her class, ~ still answered the anNiou: